YOU HAVE A DREAM

This wasn’t just general people out in the world. IT WAS HIS BROTHERS! They hated him! And when you read the account of Joseph, you can feel the hatred. “Look, here comes the dreamer…..Let’s kill him!”

After they threw Joseph into a pit to die, they changed their minds and sold him to a passing caravan that was heading toward Egypt. So probably down deep they didn’t really want to kill Joseph, they just wanted to kill his dreams. You’ve never felt real hatred until those closest to you want to kill your dream!

Everyone has a dream! I’m not talking about the kind of dream that you have in the night while you are sleeping. Most of those dreams are simply because you ate too much pizza the night before. I’m talking about the dreams that you want to see fulfilled in your life. Dreams that God has placed in your life. Dreams of doing something significant with your life with the talents and gifting’s that you have.

Often time our dreams get pushed into the background and they never have the opportunity of being used to bless others.

I want to say right here, that if you do not keep your dream alive it will just fade into nothingness and eventually it will die! You are the only one who can keep your dream alive! Do whatever you have to do to keep it alive because if your dream ever dies, that is the end of the world for you! I know that sounds extreme, but it’s true! The Bible says, “Without a vision or dream, the people perish. You cannot live without a dream or vision in your life.

I encourage you to cling to your dream. Position yourself to fulfil your dream and the destiny that God has for you. Only you can do that!

Joseph refused to allow bitterness against his brothers to rise up in his heart. He knew that if he did it would destroy his dream and that would be the end of the world for him. He maintained a right heart through every circumstance so that one day his dream would be revealed. Even when Potifer’s wife tried to seduce him, he ran from her…..because of the dream!

You are the only one who can protect your dream!

I have shared the true story of the Christian lady that prayed often for her unsaved family. She was the only one in her family that had given her life to the Lord. Whenever she had opportunity to share a prayer request at her church, she would always ask the people to remember her family in prayer and that one day they would surrender their hearts to the Lord. She had a dream and she kept it alive by praying and even asking others to join in that prayer.

This lady passed away as an elderly person and she never did see the fulfilment of that dream. However, at her Going Home Service there was such a presence of the Lord in that gathering, that within two months after her passing, there were 22 members of her family that gave their hearts to the Lord and began serving Jesus! You may say, “Well, that is so sad! She didn’t see the fulfilment of her dream!”

Oh, but wait a minute! Can you imagine the rejoicing in Heaven as that lady sees members of her family arriving one by one through the gates of that Holy City? What a time of rejoicing around the Throne of Jesus!

My point is this. Don’t ever stop believing in your dream. Don’t ever stop clinging to the promise that God has made to you. Pursue that dream with prayer! Preserve it, and protect it at all cost! Even if those closest to you do not believe in it or even think it will come to pass. You are the preserver of your own dream and God will see that it is fulfilled in and through you!

So today, I defy the darkness that has obscured the dream in your heart and I pray for you that you will rise up just as Joseph did and see the fulfilment of every dream that God has placed in your heart! SRR

Read the account of Joseph in Genesis 37.
Also a scripture of interest is Psalms 55:12-13 For it is not an enemy who reproaches me; Then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me; Then I could hide from him. But it was you, a man my equal, My companion and my acquaintance. 

HOLD ON TIGHT.......HERE WE GO!!

My dad was a fun dad!  One Christmas he bought me skis. But where we lived there were no ski hills! He laughed!

I exclaimed, “What good are they!” But I put them on anyway and made my way out to our front lawn.  The snow plow had plowed the parking lot of the Hoyt church and had made a large pile of snow on our front lawn. I did the side step thing up the side of the mound and then pointed the skis downhill! I skied for about 6 feet and stopped. That was it! A 6 foot downhill ski slope! WOW! I returned to the top and went down again! And again, and again! I did this for the better part of an hour as my dad watched from the window…..LAUGHING!

Finally, Dad opened the front door and said, “I have an idea!” Dad went into the garage and got a rope! We drove the car to the old Gillet Road that hadn’t yet been plowed. The snow was light and perfect for skiing. He hooked the rope to the trailer hitch of the car and then He said, “Tie this end of the rope around your waist! I said, “OK!” As I fixed the rope to my waist, suddenly MY LIFE FLASHED BEFORE ME! My brain began to communicate with my body saying, “What’s wrong with this picture, son?” Don’t even think about it! I quickly unfastened the rope from my waist and said to Dad, “I think I would just rather hold the ROPE!” He laughed! Then he said, “HOLD ON TIGHT AND DON’T LET GO!!”

THIS REMINDS ME OF THE STORY OF JAKE

JAKES BIRTHDAY

Before Jake was born, Jake’s mom was gonna have a baby. She had the baby and named him Esau. But moments after he was born another son was born saying, HEY WAIT FOR ME! She had twins! This second boy WAS RED HEADED! AND THE BIBLE SAYS HE WAS HOLDING ONTO HIS BROTHERS HEEL! He had a grip on his brothers heel and he just wouldn’t let go! It seems that this GRIP followed him all of his life.

THE BIRTHRIGHT

As they grew older Jake realized he was not the oldest son since he was born after Esau. So that meant he wasn’t entitled to the Firstborn Birthright. The “Firstborn was entitled to the greater inheritance whenever Dad passed away. So, 60 percent of the inheritance always went to the firstborn and the remaining inheritance was evenly divided among the other siblings. Jake wanted the larger inheritance so much! And he decided to do whatever it would take to get it!

When the twins were about 12 years old, Esau was out hunting and when he came in from hunting he was so tired and hungry. It so happened that Jake was cooking a big pot of stew over the open fire. Esau said, “Can I have some stew?”   SURE! YOU CAN HAVE SOME STEW.…. JUST TRADE ME THE BIRTHRIGHT! The deal was made, and Jake now rightfully owned the Birthright! Now all he needed was his Father’s blessing….. and he got that too with the help of his mother!

Jake now had the birthright and the blessing!  AND HE HELD ONTO THEM TIGHT!

MARRYING RACHEL

When Jake turned 18, he fell in love with a girl named Rachel. He asked her dad if he could marry her. Laban said, “Sure!….. But you must work for 7 years for me FIRST.

On the wedding day the Bride was coming down the aisle with a heavy vale over her face. But it turned out to be Leah…..Rachels sister! Leah was not as pretty and Rachel. Jake had to work yet another 7 years in order to marry the girl he really wanted….Rachel! To Jake it seemed like nothing! WHEN HE GOT WHAT HE WANTED, AGAIN, HE HELD ON TIGHT!

WRESTLING WITH THE ANGEL

Another time Jake wrestled all night long!  “Let me go!” Said the Angel. “NO! NOT UNTIL YOU GIVE ME WHAT I WANT!”

I want the Blessing of God! Jake’s hip was knocked out of joint, but he continued to wrestle! HE WOULDN’T LET GO! HE JUST HELD ON TIGHT!

THE BIRTH OF JOSEPH

Jake loved his son, Joseph. He was his favorite boy. Jake had 12 boys all together.

The brothers were very jealous of Joseph. “Let’s kill him!”, they said. They hated him!

First, they threw him into a pit but then changed their minds and instead decided to sell him as a slave.

They took the “Coat of many colors” that Jake had made Joseph and dipped it into animal’s blood.

They took the coat to Jake and said, “JOSEPH IS DEAD!” But Joseph wasn’t dead! They lied to their father! Sadly, Jake believed them! For the first time in his life it seemed as though he lost his grip and forgot to hold on tight to something that belonged to him.

Later on, a famine came to the land and people were dying of starvation. And thankfully GOD WAS WITH JOSEPH. Joseph had grown up and he had become a very important man in Egypt in charge of the corn eventually saving his entire family from starvation.

BUT JAKE WAS HOME STILL REMEMBERING AND GRIEVING ABOUT HIS FAVORITE SON.

When Jake was real old, he found out the Joseph wasn’t dead! He was happy…..but think of all those years that he thought Joseph was dead! Years that were lost grieving over a dead son that wasn’t even dead! That’s just like that evil satan that tries to make you lose your grip on things that rightfully belong to you!

So here’s the point;

YOU NEED TO HOLD ONTO THE THINGS THAT GOD HAS GIVEN TO YOU! HOLD ONTO JESUS AND DON’T EVER LET HIM GO!

There will be many things in life that will try to make you lose grip and forfeit what rightfully belongs to you! BUT DON’T YOU EVER LET GO!

Satan will lie to you! BUT DON’T YOU EVER LET GO!

Satan will say you are worthless! BUT DON’T YOU EVER LET GO!

Friends will make fun of you for serving Jesus! BUT DON’T YOU EVER LET GO!

God wants to bless your life! Don’t EVER let Satan steal that from you! JUST HOLD ON TIGHT!

ON BURIED TREASURE

I remember when I was just a young boy I always loved little things. Little cars, little marbles, little boxes, etc.

I also loved burying things in the ground. Then digging them up and acting as though I had found “buried treasure”. I would be so excited!

At one place where we lived there was a bowling alley next door that had a small parking lot. I remember taking a tiny tin box and filling it with a few little things. Inside the box, I put a blue matchbox car, a green plastic soldier, a cats eye marble plus a nickel and some pennies. I then went over to the parking lot next door, found a place at the back of the lot about one foot east of a white corner post. Right there I dug a hole. I placed the little box down in the hole and buried it. I remember taking a piece of paper and drawing a map with an X where I had buried the treasure. Nobody knew where that buried treasure was, except ME!

As time went on, I forgot all about the little box next door and after a while we moved away to another town. The little treasure box never crossed my mind again.

Until one day we were visiting some relatives in that same town and I remember taking a little walk to where we had lived before. It was then that I remembered. I said to myself, “I must go dig up that buried treasure!”

As I ran toward the parking lot, to my dismay, the parking lot had been paved!

I believe that God has buried treasure deep inside everyone’s heart. Treasures that have yet to be discovered. You were divinely created with God's plan and purpose and there are talents, gifting’s and special qualities that you have yet to discover! Ask God to help you discover His full plan and purpose for your life! Read God’s Word daily! The Word of God is like a map that can direct you to the exact place in your heart where the buried treasures are hidden. But you must search for it and dig for it, until you discover God’s complete design and plan for your life! Let the Word shine a light on your heart! Don't let too much time pass you by before you search for the buried treasure. The soil of your heart may become too hard. You will be amazed at the treasures that are hidden in the darkness that are just waiting to be revealed!

Here is what Isaiah says in chapter 45:2-3. I will go before you, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut down the bars of iron: And I will give to you the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the LORD, which call you by your name, am the God of Israel.

And just as an added thought…..If you need a car and some money, or perhaps even a military husband, I can show you where you can find them! SRR